Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro, North Carolina is the largest city in and county seat of Guilford County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is located at the intersection of two interstate highways (I-85 and I-40) in the Piedmont ("foot of the mountains") region in central North Carolina, and is the largest city in the Piedmont Triad region. The Greensboro city population is estimated at over 241,000 residents.
Greensboro was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House on March 15, 1781. The Americans lost that battle but the Pyrrhic victory slowed Cornwallis' British forces enough to allow the Americans to prepare to defeat them at the Battle of Yorktown, where the British were forced to surrender after a 20-day siege, thus ending the American Revolution. In 1808, Greensborough (as it was spelled before 1895) was planned around a central courthouse square to replace Guilford Court House as the county seat. This act moved the county courts closer to the geographical center of the county, a location more easily reached by a greater number of the county's citizens.
The town is home to several prominent universities and colleges. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T), Guilford College, Bennett College, and Greensboro College all call Greensboro their home. In addition, the state community college system has several campuses for Guilford Technical Community College and the Elon University School of Law also has a campus in downtown Greensboro.
Greensboro has been known for being on the forefront of issues involving racial and ethnic equality, sometimes resulting in nationally known events. During the 19th century, with its large concentration of anti-slavery Quakers near Guilford College (now part of Greensboro), the town was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
The city is also the home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball club of the South Atlantic League and the Carolina Dynamo of the USL Premier Development League. The Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, one of the oldest national PGA Tour golf events, is held in Greensboro every fall at Forest Oaks Country Club.
